Month: August 2018

A cursory glance at the fashion statement of celebrity kids tells you that street fashion is here to stay even among this age group, saysSweta Kumari.

One look at photographs of Harper Beckham, Suri Cruise or Dannielynn Birkhead who modelled for Guess and you know that street fashion is not a passing fad. Children, as much as youth, breathe it.

Street style for kids is big business today. Funky, quirky and jazzed up with glamour accessories team up with the carefully casual look for girls and boys.

Street style has always been there. It is only since the mid-1950s that its importance has been recognised, appreciated and emulated. Street fashion is considered to have emerged not from studios, but from the grassroots. It is generally linked with youth culture, and is often seen in major urban centres even though smaller towns have their own smaller hubs.

Theories about origin of street fashion

The Trickle Up Theory involves innovation or a picky style that begins on the streets, worn by lower income groups. It is picked up by designers and projected to upper class spheres which purchase the designs.

A typical example of this is the T-shirt. From a modest start, the Tee has turned into an emblem of global fashion. It has become not just a fashion and cultural icon, but a message board where people can express their feelings in the form of slogans, symbols and logos. Messages focus on the wider audience of popular culture, or are directed at subcultures, politics, economics, social issues and more.

The latest in a long line of 90s comebacks – think belly-baring crop tops, chokers and Calvin Klein undies – hair highlights for men are in the midst of a revival.

Once considered a boyband staple, ‘frosted tips’, more commonly known as ‘guylights,’ were the look du jour for some of the most eligible men of the moment – we’re looking at you, Justin Timberlake – but recently, they’ve been cropping up all over the place.

And, what’s even more surprising is that we don’t particularly hate it

Saddle up with cowboy-inspired menswear this season

Similar to highlights, this style is achieved by bleaching just the ends of hair strands, leaving the impression that one’s hair has been ‘frosted.’

Most recently, the look has been adopted by the likes of Chris Evans on the cover of L’Uomo Vogue, John Mayer, Niall Horan and YouTube sensation Alfie Deyes.

But just because it looks good on them doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll suit you.

Instead of looking directly to 90s heartthrobs for inspiration, stylists believe that the highlight resurgence is a reaction to more severe hair trends that have dominated for the past few years such as grey, platinum and structured barbershop locks.“For a while, everything was bold and demanded attention,” Tyson Kennedy, co-owner of Cutler Salon in NYC told GQ.

Given that we’re more clued up about our beauty regimes than ever before, it’s no wonder the smart technology once only available in the salon has finally evolved for clever, at-home use. From gel nails to laser hair removal, armed with the knowledge – and now the tools – to achieve professional results for a fraction of the cost and in a lot less time, more and more of us our tackling a range of treatments from the comfort of our own home.

A new survey conducted by Braun Beauty has found that 66 per cent of us are forgoing salons for the DIY approach as appointments are too expensive – with half saying the price takes away our enjoyment of a salon trip. In fact, 97 per cent of women revealed they could save up to £1,200 a year by doing their beauty maintenance themselves. And with 69 per cent of those polled seeing salon treatments as a luxury, spurred on by the possible savings, it’s no surprise so many are taking back control of their beauty regimes.

Of the DIY beauty treatments out there, hair removal was reveal as the most popular with nearly three quarters of those questioned (71 per cent) choosing to do this at home and 26 per cent saying it saves them the most money against salon prices. But how do you get the same results at home?

The Braun Silk-épil 9 SkinSpa with New Body CelluMassager pad (£179.99) combines advanced epilation hair removal with massage and exfoliation heads to offer five outstanding treatments from one device. As well as removing hairs as small as a grain of sand, the exfoliation brush options ensure skin has an ultra-smooth and soft finish. An added deep body massage pad stimulates blood circulation and massages deeper than a standard body brush, visibly improving the skin’s appearance.

Silk-épil 9 SkinSpa with New Body CelluMassager pad, £179.99, Bra

Given that we’re more clued up about our beauty regimes than ever before, it’s no wonder the smart technology once only available in the salon has finally evolved for clever, at-home use. From gel nails to laser hair removal, armed with the knowledge – and now the tools – to achieve professional results for a fraction of the cost and in a lot less time, more and more of us our tackling a range of treatments from the comfort of our own home.

A new survey conducted by Braun Beauty has found that 66 per cent of us are forgoing salons for the DIY approach as appointments are too expensive – with half saying the price takes away our enjoyment of a salon trip. In fact, 97 per cent of women revealed they could save up to £1,200 a year by doing their beauty maintenance themselves. And with 69 per cent of those polled seeing salon treatments as a luxury, spurred on by the possible savings, it’s no surprise so many are taking back control of their beauty regimes.

Of the DIY beauty treatments out there, hair removal was reveal as the most popular with nearly three quarters of those questioned (71 per cent) choosing to do this at home and 26 per cent saying it saves them the most money against salon prices. But how do you get the same results at home?

The Braun Silk-épil 9 SkinSpa with New Body CelluMassager pad (£179.99) combines advanced epilation hair removal with massage and exfoliation heads to offer five outstanding treatments from one device. As well as removing hairs as small as a grain of sand, the exfoliation brush options ensure skin has an ultra-smooth and soft finish. An added deep body massage pad stimulates blood circulation and massages deeper than a standard body brush, visibly improving the skin’s appearance.

Silk-épil 9 SkinSpa with New Body CelluMassager pad, £179.99, Braun

There’s also the Braun FaceSpa with SkinVitaliser pad (£89.99) – which combines facial epilation, cleansing and revitalising systems. With six treatment options available, it offers effective cleansing, a deep and sensitive exfoliating brushes, precision epilation and a beauty sponge head that can be used to apply make-up or skincare products. There’s also a new SkinVitaliser pad with micro-vibrating silicone tips to help boost blood circulation as it gently massages and peels.

FaceSpa with SkinVitaliser pad, £89.99, Braun

Both the Braun Silk-épil 9 SkinSpa with New Body CelluMassager pad and Braun FaceSpa with New SkinVitaliser pad are available at amazon.co.uk

here’s also the Braun FaceSpa with SkinVitaliser pad (£89.99) – which combines facial epilation, cleansing and revitalising systems. With six treatment options available, it offers effective cleansing, a deep and sensitive exfoliating brushes, precision epilation and a beauty sponge head that can be used to apply make-up or skincare products. There’s also a new SkinVitaliser pad with micro-vibrating silicone tips to help boost blood circulation as it gently massages and peels.

A candid interview in which British Vogue’s former fashion director said she was fired from the title has been mysteriously removed from the internet.

Ever since the announcement that long-standing editor Alexandra Shulman was to be replaced by stylist Edward Enninful, it became clear that a new era was dawning at the glossy title. Especially as two other departures swiftly followed: managing editor of 24 years Frances Bentley left on the same day, and fashion director Lucinda Chambers announced that she was to step down four months later.

But now, in an extremely open interview with Vestoj, Chambers has said that she was fired – a decision which she said took bosses just “three minutes” to carry out.

READ MORE

British Vogue announces its first ever black editor

In an article published on the “critical thinking” fashion website, Chambers, 57, said she had been fired six weeks ago by Enninful.

“A month and a half ago I was fired from Vogue,” she says. “It took them three minutes to do it. I didn’t leave. I was fired.”

British Vogue has since responded, saying: “It’s usual for an incoming editor to make some changes to the team,” the publication told The Independent.

“Any changes made are done with the full knowledge of senior management.”

The interview was promptly taken down as soon as it began to gain traction on social media – a move the site says was due to the “sensitive nature” of the article.

But, Vestoj has since re-published it in its entirety with the hopes that it will spark a discussion which might, in the words of Chambers, “lead to a more empowering and useful fashion media.”

Entitled, “Will I Get a Ticket?”, Chambers went on to slam some of the magazine’s decisions – particularly when it came to advertising.

In our first of three instalments of “Stories of Style”, Vogue’s fashion director Lucinda Chambers shared her favourite styling tips in a masterclass hosted by @johnlewisretail – from the key pieces to own to customisation, discover them all via the link in bio #promo

A post shared by British Vogue (@britishvogue) on Jun 29, 2017 at 2:53am PDT

“The June cover with Alexa Chung in a stupid Michael Kors T-shirt is crap,” she admits.

“He’s a big advertiser so I knew why I had to do it. I knew it was cheesy when I was doing it, and I did it anyway.”

Then, she shed light on the employment of a fashion editor who, according to Chambers, was employed despite being a “terrible stylist”.

“In fashion you can go far if you look fantastic and confident — no one wants to be the one to say ‘but they’re crap’.”

But, perhaps the most revealing extract of the entire interview came when Chambers exposed the reality of the publication she had worked for, for 36 years.

Here, she admitted that she hadn’t “read Vogue in years”, slating the clothes as “irrelevant” and “ridiculously expensive”.

“There are very few fashion magazines that make you feel empowered. Most leave you totally anxiety-ridden.

“Truth be told, I haven’t read Vogue in years. The clothes are just irrelevant for most people – so ridiculously expensive.

“I know glossy magazines are meant to be aspirational, but why not be both useful and aspirational? That’s the kind of fashion magazine I’d like to see.”

BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) – Browsing through the racks of printed T-shirts and scarves, a handful of shoppers inspect the latest designs in what has become one of the most popular clothing stores in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi.

One of them, Ali, a student, holds up a T-shirt printed with a popular Libyan expression “Grab what is new before it becomes old”, one of the many catchphrases that adorn the designs in Boza, a small shop in an upmarket neighborhood.

“I always bought clothes with English writing on them but now for the first time, I am buying a T-shirt with Arabic print,” he said. “I am so happy.”

Ali is one of the hundreds of Libyans who have flocked to Boza since it opened a few months ago, eager to get their hands on designs that have become a talking point among the youth in Benghazi’s popular coffee shops.

Its name meaning “stylish”, the store – the first of its kind in Libya according to its owners – sells T-shirts, bags, head and neck scarves printed with “Made in Libya”, “Walk like a Libyan” or a jumble of letters spelling out Benghazi.

Some T-shirts are printed with “I love Cyrenaica”, referring to Libya’s eastern province where calls for more regional autonomy have heightened since Muammar Gaddafi’s ouster in 2011.

Benghazi was the cradle of the Libyan revolt and discontent has mounted over continued neglect from Tripoli. Easterners say their oil-rich region was starved of cash under Gaddafi.

Other colorful T-shirts carry portraits of King Idris, whom Gaddafi ousted in his 1969 coup.

“Our designs have political messages, it is difficult to separate daily life from politics,” Ahmed Benmussa, a 32-year old oil engineer and Boza co-owner, said.

“We take inspiration from Libyan heritage because we have a rich culture. Reviving history is one of our aims.”

Some of the T-shirts tackle the serious issues plaguing post-war Libya – the mass of weapons on its streets and the armed militias which have hobbled governance.

“Better the devil you know” reads the message on one T-shirt accompanied by the drawing of a knife.

“Some of the messages are critical, perhaps in a more humorous way,” Benmussa said. “This is how we express ourselves, unlike those who actually use weapons.”

PERSONALISED DESIGNS

The shop itself is a mix between old and new. An old record player lies idle in the middle of the store while a large television screen beams Boza’s latest designs.

Importing blank T-shirts and scarves from Turkey, its designers use a small printing machine to decorate the clothes and accessories. Customers can also personalize goods or propose new designs on a “suggestion wall” in the store.

Boza’s T-shirts, which sell for around 50 Libyan dinars ($40), are popular among Benghazi’s youth who say the designs allow them to express themselves – a still relatively new freedom after Gaddafi’s 42-year iron-fisted rule.

“This is a great way in which you can express yourself in a modern and fashionable manner,” Alaa al-Baba, a 24-year old engineer, said. “It would be great if everybody could do that.”

Boza’s owners use social media site Facebook to promote the store, both at home and abroad, posting pictures of the owners’ friends wearing designs around town like professional models.

“We have sent T-shirts to customers in Saudi Arabia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, United States, Qatar, Ireland, France, Egypt and Spain,” Benmussa said.

Capitalizing on Boza’s success in Benghazi, plans are now under way to open a branch in the capital.

And twice a year, the underlying story of these events is how those models manage to stay so thin, and whether their size is a reasonable idea of beauty.

My philosophy around taking care of my own body is pretty simple: I believe in eating more vegetables than French fries overall, drinking lots of water and sweating for at least 30 minutes a day, whether it’s from running or scrubbing the bathroom floor. I do not believe in consuming hard drugs or munching on cotton balls to curb hunger, two tactics of many that were described to fashion reporters this week.

I recognize that my commitment to exclusively external use of cotton balls might mean I don’t look awesome in every trend, and that’s fine. It’s also fine that even though I accept my body for what it is and encourage everyone else to do the same, I still don’t want two enormous pouches of fabric on the sides of a pencil skirt making my hips look bigger than they actually are.

We all have body qualms, even people who are naturally very thin. And we all have that one fashion trend haunting our shopping trips, the thing that accentuates the body issue we’re trying to ignore. I’ve laid out a few common culprits below and some alternatives that you’ll be more confident wearing, because great style is not reserved for people with “ideal” bodies, whatever that means.

This week I read an article from Refinery 29 on Ikram Goldman, owner of the upscale Chicago boutique Ikram, who’s kind of a big deal in the fashion world. She had this to say about personal style: “Be comfortable in your own skin, and your style will come out. You’ll be fabulous in whatever you’re wearing.”

The body qualm: You’re not all that keen on calling attention to your hips and butt.

The problem trend: Peplum skirts

The fix: Peplum shirts

Naturally, I’m starting with one that I can relate to. In fact, I related to it two days ago when I tried on a sheath dress in Target that had ruffle around the waist of truly unfortunate placement and length. I actually thought to myself, “This IS a brand new Target…maybe there used to be an amusement park in here and this particular mirror is leftover from the funhouse?” The somewhat more likely explanation, though, is that a peplum skirt just doesn’t do what I want it to do for my body. Enter the peplum shirt, which appears to be overtaking the peplum skirt in popularity this season anyway. You can go with a structured choice in a thicker fabric, or a more laid-back, subtler peplum top like the lace one from Anthropologie. I love the boatneck and three-quarter sleeves, both of which are slimming and balance out the added volume on the bottom half.

The body qualm: Your thighs aren’t as toned as they could be.

The problem trend: Colored jeans

The fix: Colored trousers or printed jeans

Colored jeans are often made of a thinner, more stretchy denim, which makes some wearers’ legs look “lumpy,” even if the jeans fit. To add insult to injury, they tend to run small, and nobody’s fond of not being able to squeeze into her regular size in the dressing room. With colored, cropped trousers, the fabric is thicker and the fit slightly looser. If you’re set on denim, try darker printed jeans, perhaps navy with white polka dots or a fall floral.

The body qualm: You’re nearly a foot shorter than a runway model.

The problem trend: Maxi skirts

The fix: High-low skirts

This is a fairly self-explanatory problem, and one that there’s not much of a solution to except buying petite if you can or getting a maxi skirt hemmed. If both of these seem like too much work, a hem that’s short in the front and long in the back is trendy this season and more likely to accommodate your frame.

The body qualm: You want to tone down your large chest, just a little – the grass is always greener.

The problem trend: Peter Pan collar

The fix: Embellished or embroidered necklines

This is no more than a feat of optical illusion. A Peter Pan collar is very dainty, so when it sits right above your chest, it’s likely to make it look that much bigger in contrast. Embellishments or embroidery on sweaters, on the other hand, typically reach from shoulder to shoulder. When your focal point is wider, your chest looks smaller.

As the global population boom, there are inevitable implications on livestock. Demand for food and shelter have grown manifold resulting in an alarming scarcity of land meant for rearing animals, saysSatyadeep Chatterjee.

Trends have to be predicted taking into consideration possible drastic changes. Fashion consumers are becoming more conscious of the environment. They prefer eco-friendly material, conservative use of resources, reduced emission of pollutants, greater social commitment and fair treatment of employees in production facilities.

The presence of a large number of players in the sector has intensified the competition to garner a larger chunk of the market share of this lucrative industry. On the demand front, consumers are rapidly aligning towards new designs and innovative leather offerings to ensure they are in sync with changing fashion trends. Another factor that needs to be taken into account is the rise of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) economies. Their dominant position in the labour-intensive textile and leather industries makes it difficult for other countries to match them.

Owing to high demand, the leather goods industry is on a growth spree. Forecasts are, this vertical will grow at a CAGR of 3.4 percent over the next five years and will touch US$ 91.2 billion by 2018.

Fashion forecasting is a process of analysing upcoming trends by predicting colours, fabrics and styles that will be a part of latest collections in the stores. The forecaster works on all categories and variants of the fashion industry, explains Ankita Sodhi.

Haute couture, pret-o-porter or ready-to-wear and street wear or mass market, all can benefit from trend forecasting. It also involves a study of emerging trends in make-up, beauty and cosmetics, to predict a complete look of the season.

Various practices involved in forecasting are:

Study of various fashion seasons

As an impact of globalisation, mapping of megatrends by analysing collections at fashion capitals of the world

Comparative study of current and previous trends

Identifying the niche market/client/group

Understanding and analysing the demographic and psycho graphic structure of the targeted market/client/group

Predicting themes, stories and trends for upcoming season by generating a style and trend report

Various fashion seasons

Design collections are launched as per specific seasons. These include:

Spring/Summer

High Summer

Pre-fall

Autumn/Winter

Resort/Cruise

The two biggest seasons are Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter. These collections are showcased at major fashion weeks almost six months prior to when they appear in stores. These include both haute couture as well as ready-to-wear collections.

High summer is when some fashion houses or brands launch a collection after Spring/Summer collection has been launched. Several times, these collections are extremely impactful on trends that will emerge in the upcoming season.

Resort/cruise collections are launched for those who are keen on wearing trendy comfort wear at holidays or while travelling for leisure.

Pre-Fall collections have a wide customer range but they are launched to target the elite fashion fanatics and leaders. These fashion leaders are fond of an updated wardrobe. Celebrities of various fields are often the first to get these fresh off the runway outfits.